We’re hitting the road on a 25-city tour to hear concerns from across the nation.

We want to know: What does it mean to be American today? To find out, we’re hitting the road this fall to interview people about their hopes, dreams, fears and definition of "being American." By converting a tour bus into a mobile video studio, we’ll capture conversations with people of all ages and backgrounds. Our goal: moving, multimedia storytelling that showcases what we share as Americans, rather than what divides us.

Why we are doing this

Trust in media has bottomed out. We hope to rebuild some of that — and learn from it — by listening to the public and elevating their stories through our massive distribution network.

How we are making it happen

We will travel the old-fashioned way — via bus — to 20-plus states to hear from some of the under-heard, diverse Americans who make up the communities that form much of our nation. And by working on the ground with community leaders, nonprofits, educational institutions, local businesses and others, we’ll make sure people know we’re there to listen.

Via The HuffPost App

From our editor

Dear readers,

I am so pleased to announce "Listen to America," a hugely ambitious, cross-country project we’re undertaking at HuffPost to understand what’s on the minds of Americans and what it means to be American in 2017. Consider this an invitation to our journey.

For journalists, listening is more important than ever. Why? First, trust in the news media is at an all-time low. We want to address that head-on, and build trust in the work we do, by visiting communities that are often ignored by national media. We’ll listen to what’s most important to them, and help tell those stories to the vast HuffPost audience.

Second, political divisions between us seem starker than ever. But at HuffPost, we believe there’s still so much that unites us as citizens. We aim to discover and highlight all that, and show what Americans have in common. As we visit 25 cities, we’ll use our bus — built out as a mobile video studio — to listen and collect hundreds if not thousands of voices, and we’ll share many of them along the way. We’ll also create ways for you to make your voice heard too, even if we aren’t coming to your hometown.

Third, as journalists, being good listeners, and getting out of our own way, are at the core of our practice. "Listen to America" is an opportunity to practice this skill over and over, and discover great stories out in the field, where they live.

We’re popping our own bubbles in more ways than one. Join us! The bus hits the road on Sept. 12 in St. Louis. Check our map to see if we’re coming to your town. Subscribe to our newsletter. And shoot us any tips or thoughts at listening@huffpost.com. We’re here.